MorrisrownSal Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Cold and very dry weather has the humidity at dastardly low levels here in New Jersey. Even my room humidifier is not keeping up. And so away they go, in their cases with sponges. I have the LG2 in my wall case with two cups of water with sponges in them, and I can get the humidity to 38% or so in there. The others, including my workhorse SJTV, are away in their hard shell cases, and down in the basement (more humidity down there). I am cold. It is dark. So lonely.... so cold.... Pa? Ma? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatbaroque Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 haha...I was looking forward to listening to a new SalSong...I thought this must be a Ryan Adams one I didn't know. Lucky you've still got your oboe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hang in there Sal...better days ahead ....and flat B...nothing more morose sounding than an oboe, eh? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatstrat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Same situation here. Just last night I put up the J-50 for safe humidified keeping. But brought out the Epiphone cheapie. Cheapie pickin is better than no pickin IMO. And dare I say that I have the Epi set up so well that it's a joy to play. And ones gets used to the tone difference in a short while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 In the early 1990s before I knew better, i had my SJ200 on a stand in the living room. It looked so beautiful next to the piano. It really was a work of art. It was also my first really nice acoustic. And then I heard it... I actually heard it.... CRACK. Why didnt it occur to me to humidify it? I mean the friggin piano had a humidity system. It still looked beautiful next to the piano though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 In the early 1990s before I knew better, i had my SJ200 on a stand in the living room. It looked so beautiful next to the piano. It really was a work of art. It was also my first really nice acoustic. And then I heard it... I actually heard it.... CRACK.] Ouch. Only my National is going out with me for the next couple of days.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Git yerself a good carbon fiber guitar for times like these. Either that, or get a cheapie that won't break your heart if it self-destructs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 The warm mist/vaporizer style also used here, Sal. Times 3, recently. And sponge on plastic bag in soundhole, guitar on its back, in the case, for a short term more intense re-hydration. Soundhole h level of ~ 67-70% this way. This could also be a good thing to do before playing in dry conditions. As far as sponge vs Humidipaks, before widespread use of humidifiers, re-hydration was done by putting the guitar vertically in a garment bag above a solution of distilled water, alcohol, and salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 In the early 1990s before I knew better, i had my SJ200 on a stand in the living room. It looked so beautiful next to the piano. It really was a work of art. It was also my first really nice acoustic. And then I heard it... I actually heard it.... CRACK. Why didnt it occur to me to humidify it? I mean the friggin piano had a humidity system. It still looked beautiful next to the piano though... What cracked Sal ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Cold and very dry weather has the humidity at dastardly low levels here in New Jersey. Hmm. I am also in New Jersey. My 1974 and 2008 J-50s are sitting on their stands in my little studio and they look and sound great. Humidifier is running but I don't have any kind of gauge to measure humidity. Before I start practicing in the afternoon, I crank up the heat and humidity to rainforest levels and it feels great. Did the same thing last winter and had no problems. What's the point of having nice guitars if you can see them or play them? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatstrat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I had been using a cheapie Planet Waves sound hole humidifier. But w/the humidity level so low for so long. Even with an in room humidifier. I thought it best to be safe rather than sorry. I am curious for opinions on this. Is a soundhole humidifier enough in 20% room humidity situations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Cold and very dry weather has the humidity at dastardly low levels here in New Jersey. Even my room humidifier is not keeping up. And so away they go, in their cases with sponges. It's been a weird winter here in the Wild West. It barely snowed at all, which is a nice difference. It did get cold - down to zero F at one point - but I was surprised that the humidity outside did not correspondingly drop that much. Where it dropped to very low levels was inside with the heater going. I keep all my guitars in their cases with sponges in baggies. I cut the sponges in half to add a little surface area, and then put in two halves. This was bringing the humidity up into the low 40s, so I added a third half sponge for the Masterbilts. Now 48%! I don't give it a second thought to take them out and play for a while, then back in their cases. Yes, they're also fantastic objets d'art, and I'd love to have them hanging on my walls, but..... no. Don't want my girls getting cracky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 1423231336[/url]' post='1625518']Hmm. I am also in New Jersey. My 1974 and 2008 J-50s are sitting on their stands in my little studio and they look and sound great. Humidifier is running but I don't have any kind of gauge to measure humidity. Before I start practicing in the afternoon, I crank up the heat and humidity to rainforest levels and it feels great. Did the same thing last winter and had no problems. What's the point of having nice guitars if you can see them or play them? :) Next time you're in Walmart or Lowes you should pick up a $10 'hygrometer". You would be amazed at how quickly and far the humidiy drops when the heat is on. And, conversely, how much a humidifier can make it go in the other direction. Even in South Texas we have the heat on more often than not. I am going to close the vent in my music room so the heat dried air isn't blasting in there. Some rooms get more 'central air' than others. i have a humidifier that puts out anywhere from a half to a whold gallon of distilled water a day, But I definitely need the humidity meter to keep it it balanced. I don't just want it at a consistent level, I dont want sudden changes. Because I am of the opinion that guitars in cases are not going to get played. J45Nickster - yes a carbon fibre guitar is the best solution. I came real close last time I was GASsed up. But, decided life is too short to spend the same amount on a guitar I wont enjoy playing as much. So, got a J45C. Thanks. Of course, if I went out and about playing a lot, I'd have a Rainsong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 What cracked Sal ?? This was 20 years ago... the top... never again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espgnlo Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I bought a $50 room humidifier at a local fleet supply store. It puts out a cold mist which means you won't get a powdery substance all over your room from the vapor like a heated mist does. I had a heated mist humidifier last year and learned that lesson as my room looked like the world just suffered a nuclear disaster. This humidifier has a built in humidistat. I dial it up to 45% and when it hits that level it shuts off. Starts up again automatically as needed. I live in Minnesota...nuff said. Cold and lack of humidity is a fact of life from November through March. However my guitars are all cozy and properly humidified with the room humidifier. Maybe this will work for others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espgnlo Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Oh, and yes while you're at it. Pick up some inexpensive humidity/temp gauges at Wal-mart. I paid around $8.00 each for mine. They are all within a percent or two of each other on humidity, way close enough for guitar purposes. And they agree with the humidity level I have set on my humidifier. All cheap investments and well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 espignio, what kind do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espgnlo Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 It is a Holmes Cool Mist Comfort Humidifier HM1865-NU. This one has a replaceable filter which will cost you around $8.00. It even has a gauge that tells you when the filter needs changing. It just uses regular tap water. Not real loud either, although you can hear the fan running. I was so impressed with the first one I bought two more and put one in our living room and one in our bedroom. If you Google the model number you can read all about them, plus see pictures. The little humidity/temperature gauge I got at Wal-mart was a AcuRite Digital Humidity and Temperature Monitor. Well under $10, I bought three of those too. Can see it on their website. Good luck Sal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Next time you're in Walmart or Lowes you should pick up a $10 'hygrometer". I might do that the next time I want to be "empty, desoltate, arid and lonely." But it's all good around here at the moment. I live back in the woods and heat with a woodstove. We have had a lot of rain here and I don't think it's all that dry. Temperatures all over the place, 9 degrees last night, going up to 50 degrees this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatstrat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I have 2 or 3 of the cool mist type humidifiers. But don't use them. They actually make the room colder. My wife complained about it for a long time before I realized she was right. So it's warm mist all the way here. I only have one and need more. And you have to refill them more often. But it make MaMa happy. And if Mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I can't even remember going through the humidify and dehumidify scenario. It must be a real pain to worry about each acoustic in your set-up. ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espgnlo Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 You know fatstrat, there are other ways of keeping mama warm and happy than a warm mist humidifier. And it ain't unplugging the cool mist humidifier either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 This was 20 years ago... the top... never again! Heating on and top cracked ? Am in Ireland ya know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlejohnny Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Heating on and top cracked ? Am in Ireland ya know. Same here, I love the winter, almost the only time my acoustics don't have to live in their cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Yep. Turn off the heat. Real men don't need heat..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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